The following is an excerpt from author Dalina Soto‘s new book, The Latina Anti-Diet, out March 18.

The CHULA Method is my way of adding sazón to the nutrition movement, and also helping you heal your relationship with food and your body. One day, I was on a one-on-one call with a chula (who happened to be a marketer and freaking Super Bowl producer!), and she said to me, “Why don’t you create a method? I mean, what you are teaching me is so valuable and you need to put a name to it.” I truly had never thought of it, but after our call, it all just fell into place for me—CHULA:

Challenge the negative thoughts

Honor your body and health

Understand your needs and body cues

Listen to your hunger and fullness

Acknowledge your emotions

Let’s begin with challenging those negative thoughts. As a woman, you no doubt contend with them everywhere! We have negative thoughts about our bodies, what we eat, how productive we are, even how good we are at parenting. Just about everything seems to be negative. But functioning in the negative is not for me, and it shouldn’t be for you either. However, I’d like to clarify that I am not talking about toxic positivity, because I do not believe we can just positively think our way into happiness. But when it comes to food and our bodies, when we add in food and exercise from a positive place, it helps us feel better.

When I was going to Penn State for my bachelor’s in nutritional sciences, I was the only Latina. I remember there being one Black girl and a few Asians. We were the outliers. My senior year was 2009–2010, peak Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign time. The fight against “obesity” was going strong, and as future dietitians, my classmates and I were in it. We were going to save everyone—at least that’s what I believed. Now, there is nothing wrong with the ideas in the campaign: healthier school meals, more physical activity, healthier families, better access to affordable and healthy food, public–private partnerships promoting healthful behaviors, and childcare improvements—those are all great things to strive for. The issue with this and many similar campaigns is that the people on the ground, the ones who really need it, don’t get the benefits. These ideas are too broad to actually fix the systemic issues, and unfortunately, diet culture ends up taking those healthy behaviors to the extreme.

In my classes, all we learned was how to “fix” my community, how to “fix” the food, how to “fix” the people’s health, and how to make them better, basically by erasing any inch of culture they had left. I was inundated with negative thoughts about my community based on what everyone was saying. In every course, I was taught to tell people who looked like me to switch from white rice to brown because it was “better.” I was taught that Latine foods are higher in fat and mostly fried and therefore should be avoided. I wrestled with what I was learning because my lessons were telling me my mami’s food was bad. They were telling me that the community I grew up with was bad, that processed and fried foods were the issue. But not once did they mention how redlining prevented BIPOC communities from building generational wealth and how the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 disproportionately tore down BIPOC communities by routing new highways through their neighborhoods, often leaving them in food swamps, areas where fast-food restaurants and corner stores are more prevalent than places to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. While growing up in Philadelphia, I walked those streets. I knew that those people did not have access to healthy food. And I knew something had to change; I just did not have the words for it.

I couldn’t grasp at the time that just because my foods weren’t being studied or showcased in my curriculum, it didn’t mean they were bad. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I could hear my abuela’s voice and feel her love for our traditional dishes. But in that moment, back in 2010, I genuinely believed that it was our food making my community sick—and I was going to be the one to “save” them.

Whenever I’ve been asked about nutrition by the media, or even when I was trying to land a book deal, the question has always been: Why do Latinas need this information? What makes your approach different from what’s already out there? My response has always been the same: because, to my knowledge, no one has talked about our comida and our comunidad in a positive light.

Every single article, research paper, media clip, Instagram post, etc., that I see speaks down on our foods. You can see it regularly on TikTok. One of my most viral videos is me speaking up against a Mexican cardiologist who told her followers that eating refried beans and tortillas (along with other food staples in the Mexican diet) was the reason that Latines have higher rates of heart disease. The media is always telling us that somehow, we are going to die because of the way we eat. We will dig into all of the stats and chronic diseases in Chapter 6, but in this chapter, as we begin our journey to authentic health, you need to learn to feel compassion for yourself and to challenge the negative thoughts around your body. Then, when we aren’t focused on fitting into a mold that was never meant for us, we can focus on real nutrition.

CHALLENGING BODY IMAGE IN OURLATINE COMMUNITIES

We live in a world that values thinness, that values a certain look. It values more highly a certain hair type, a certain color of eyes, and certain features. We know that if we are “beautiful” by the standards of society, for the most part, there is safety in that. Of course, misogyny is still there—no one can outrun it—but there is safety and comfort in knowing that looking a certain way brings us benefits. Being pretty and thin allows you to glide through without comments. I know this: I was the thin one, and often the pretty one. I never got comments about my body or weight. (Now, my hair, that was a different story.) But the truth is, challenging negative thoughts about your body is hard. And I will never, ever minimize that. I will never tell you that wanting to lose weight, change your body, or be accepted is wrong. Because it’s just a fact that it is easier to live in society when you fit a certain “type.”

However, what I hope to do is to point out some of the main issues that I see in our communities that drive this ideal, and then you, and only you, can decide what to do with this information. You can decide to embrace the body you have now and focus on health behaviors, or you can come back to it later when you feel like you are in a better place. Whatever you decide is fine.

I am a millennial, and I would like to set a scene showing how the teenage years of people in my generation might have gone and why we feel the way we do about our bodies.

The year is 2004, you are in high school, and RBD is playing at home every day after school. Let me tell you about Anahí, the star of Rebelde, aka Mia Colucci, telenovela character, who impacted us viewers and how we saw ourselves in our communities. Recently, with the RBD reunion, Anahí has been vocal about the pressure she faced during that time to look a certain way and how it led to her developing an eating disorder. She’s done a few candid interviews about how she was bullied on live TV by super-famous hosts and how it affected her. It affected her, and it also affected us.

They pushed her to be thin, to have blond hair, to speak English to seem cool, to talk like a stereotypical valley girl. We all wanted to be her, to not be the girls with the brown hair. This can plant the seeds of negative thoughts about our bodies. We were conditioned to want the flat stomach for wearing low-rise jeans, the “not too big, not too small” butt to fit the clothing, the “not too big, not too small” boobs for wearing a button-down shirt—basically an impossible standard that no one can achieve. Or if they can, they have to struggle to stay there and maintain it.

But before we discuss challenging thoughts around body image, we need to set some facts straight about the Latino community and its anti-Black beliefs. If me saying these words upsets you, makes you angry, makes you want to email me or DM me to tell me how wrong I am and ask how the heck I can sit here and say that our community is racist, then I need you to take a deep breath, journal those feelings, and do a simple Google search. The internet is free and you can get the history lessons there, or better yet, invest in Black educators who are doing the work of trying to end our culture’s anti-Black bias.

If you have heard the term “mejorar la raza”—“better the race”—you cannot deny the anti-Blackness in our community that stems from colonization. That colonization led the populations of many of our Latin American countries to idolize the European ideal because there was a time when marrying someone with lighter skin to move up in the caste system was the main goal in communities in every damn country. The idolization of European features encourages diet culture and the development of eating disorders in our community.

Something else that has just as large an impact on our perception of ourselves and stems from within the Latine community is telenovelas. When I was growing up, after school you could always find me watching the novelas in the living room as my mom cooked dinner and I was supposed to be doing homework. I have vivid memories of watching Agujetas de color de rosa, partly because I couldn’t look away from the drama unfolding on the screen and partly because I was an ice-skater at that time (which didn’t last very long).

Novelas have a special place in my heart, but I also recognize that they have done a lot of damage to how we view ourselves and our bodies through underrepresentation and tokenism, colorism, self-perception, and stereotyping.

Indigenous and Black actresses are historically underrepresented in leading roles in novelas. I tried to think of one novela, just one, that I could remember from when I was growing up that had a Black or Indigenous protagonista. I googled, and you guessed it, zero. I did, however, come across an article in Hispanic Executive—“Hisplaining: Why Most Mexican Telenovela Stars Are Güeros,”1 in which author Laura Martinez explains:

Growing up in Mexico City, watching telenovelas, and being exposed to a constant bombardment of TV commercials, I was convinced that most Mexicans were blue-eyed blonds. . . . [The] overrepresentation of white people in my country was a consequence of a harsh reality . . . colorism exists and is not limited to my birth country.

And I can 100 percent say this is also true in the Dominican Republic. There is more diversity on locally produced TV shows, but the commercials? I was always so confused. How could these blondes be selling us this stuff? Truly mind-boggling, but not surprising. The underrepresentation plus the colorism made many of us feel like we were not enough. I never saw anyone who looked like me. No one with curly hair, and honestly no one with my accent, unless I was in DR watching a local show. The mainstream media looked a lot like America, and I am not talking about Ferrera.

The cultural obsession with the Miss Universe contest further promotes colorism. Many of the contestants are very fair-skinned even when their country of origin is comprised of mostly dark people, reinforcing the idea that lighter skin is more beautiful.

By watching these shows and commercials all the time, we were told who we should want to be. We wanted to be blond, tall, and skinny because let’s be honest, body diversity was not a thing then, and still is not now. Those of us who did not fit the mold had to try to achieve whiteness in other ways, and that often meant straightening our hair daily and dyeing it a lighter color.

On the rare occasions when we are represented in the media, the characters are stereotypes such as poor, uneducated maids. Never are we in the main storyline unless we are getting smacked around by the patrón.

Take one of the most popular novelas of all times as a case study: Yo soy Betty, la fea, or as many Americans know it, Ugly Betty.

Betty, la fea was a novela I am pretty sure we all saw even if it was the Colombian version or the American version: the tale of an ugly duckling who turns beautiful and gets her Prince Charming, such a happy ending. But the issue with this trope and eternal storyline is that it says that women, trans people, nonbinary folks, and others are not worthy until they fit society’s idea of beauty. It’s always “Oh, she is so smart, so competent, but if she was pretty, she could really succeed.” And inevitably, Betty does. She goes full supermodel and gets the man and the company.

And we think it’s such a beautiful story. But why? We are literally teaching girls that they are worthy only if they fit conventional European beauty standards. Betty had to become skinnier before she could be worthy. She straightened her hair, got rid of her glasses, and changed the way she spoke, all to be more “professional.”

It’s just really sad that our cultural obsession with whiteness and thinness is embedded into our everyday lives by the media and our families.

I remember spending late nights as a kid when I used to sleep over at my tía’s house watching my prima order all the stuff from the infomercials. Classic 1990s stuff. One weekend, she bought a cast faja (girdle) that was meant to give you a Thalia waist, but we all knew that was probably not possible, since the rumor was that Thalia had had ribs taken out in order to get that slim figure (yes, I know, wild!). Nonetheless, that didn’t stop this prima from ordering it, and I am pretty sure she had to return it when it came in because my tía was not having it. To this day, we still crack up at all the infomercial crap she bought.

And although I think of these memories generally fondly because I was always having a good time with my prima, years later, I see more clearly how all these moments of desiring to be skinnier or to look like a certain novela star impacted our perceptions of ourselves.

The fat-shaming and discrimination doesn’t just come from TV and other media, it also comes from families. I had a video go viral in which I stitched Eva Longoria saying in a podcast interview that her nickname growing up was the prieta fea, the ugly black one. Now, we all know that nicknames like these are the norm. Whether its gorda, flaca, fea, linda, prieta, rubia, guera— they all have a physical connotation to them. And usually not a good one. We belittle our children with these nicknames, which then become their identities, often harmful ones. Ones that lead them to wanting to fit in, to no longer being gorda, to no longer being fea. And this leads to mental health issues and disordered eating habits to try to fit in. Hence the name of the novela, Yo soy Betty, la fea. She was fea until she fit the conventional beauty standards. And although she did it while still being herself, we know that that is not what women and girls learned from this show.

We can often pinpoint the development of our eating disorder or disordered eating back to these moments when we were at impressionable ages. I often think about quinceañera parties, for coming of age, and how diet culture is steeped into these traditions. I can tell you that most of the chulas I work with started dieting for their quinces because they needed to fit into the dress. So many went on to use diet pills, extremely low-calorie diets, and even surgeries to meet the expectations, most with the approval of their mamis.

I once posted about quinces in my stories and so many of you messaged me. I vividly remember one message in which someone told me that her mom got prescription diet pills for her to make sure she did not gain weight after her dress was altered. I want you to let that sink in: A mother purchased diet pills for her daughter so that the fourteen-year-old would not gain weight before a party. And I know that you know that this is not an anomaly.

I thankfully did not want a quinceañera because I was in so many of them that by the time it was my turn, I was like, Hell to the no. But this is a rite of passage for our community, and for many, this is where disordered eating begins because this is the first time your body will be placed on display for everyone to see, and it has to be perfect. And not to sound like a broken cantaleta here, but what is perfect? Thinness. Now, the term “almond mom” doesn’t feel right here, but “ensalada mami” might.

What I have learned from chulas’ stories without a shadow of a doubt is that this generational trauma needs to end. Our kids and the generations behind them deserve to live in a world where they are not judged by their appearance.

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H&M has been releasing exciting and showstopping designer collaborations for just over 20 years — the most recent collections being with Mugler, Paco Rabanne, and Rokh. The latest, however, marks a first for the brand by partnering with a Polish designer: Magda Butrym.

The Silesia-born designer and 2018 LVMH-prize finalist, known for her “signature blend of femininity, boldness, and intricate craftsmanship,” is celebrating her brand’s 10-year anniversary with a collection reinterpreting bestsellers like delicate 3D floral dresses and oversized structured coats, according to a press release.

Roses are at the heart of this collection as Butrym sees them as a “symbol of womanhood: both soft and confident, delicate and independent, arresting and ever-growing.” How poetic! It’s also intended to be a “celebration of femininity in bloom,” which couldn’t be any more apparent through the floral-printed catsuits, headscarves, and mini dresses (which model Vittoria Cerreti gave us a taste of) as well as the 3D rosette-covered bodysuits, gowns, and heels.  
 
“I really see this collection as a chance to invite people into our world — and to celebrate femininity, and the flower,” said Butrym in the release. “Each piece brings its own sense of Slavic romance while paying homage to the history of our brand.”

While the collection has a classic and timeless appeal, it also maintains Butrym’s modern edge — aka the thing that’ll make you stand out (or bloom) from the crowd. Think: rosette denim corsets, rose-printed tights, and hat-headscarf hybrids. So whether you’re looking for meticulously tailored outerwear, sweeping sequin gowns, or cozy matching sets, the H&M x Magda Butrym collaboration has a mix of statement-making and casual styles that promise to elevate your spring outfits.

Click on to take a sneak preview of the H&M collection. Then come back here on April 24 to cart up the sought-after designer pieces, which always (almost instantaneously!) sell out.

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Refinery29, the leading media and entertainment company for young women and underrepresented voices, is proud to announce the return of its groundbreaking experiential platform, 29Rooms, in celebration of the brand’s 20th anniversary. Returning with fresh energy and an evolved format, the 29Rooms Road Trip is a traveling pop-up series that will unfold throughout the year, bringing immersive, unforgettable experiences to cultural moments and communities across the country.

Kicking off this highly anticipated journey is The Lunar Lounge, an exclusive experience taking place in Palm Springs, California, from April 12-13, 2025. Set against the desert backdrop, Refinery29 is transforming a stunning Palm Springs villa into a fully immersive world where beauty, art, and wellness collide. Blending indoor and outdoor spaces, the event stays true to 29Rooms’ roots of creativity and interactive fun, featuring a mix of hands-on services, vibrant art installations, and transformative moments designed to leave guests inspired, recharged and connected.

“For two decades, Refinery29 has been dedicated to creating moments and offerings that resonate deeply with our audience,” said Rheanna Gaskin, Head of Experiential, Refinery29. “We listen to our community — leveraging data and insight — and translate what we learn into moments that matter. The return of 29Rooms is a testament to that commitment, offering immersive experiences and environments that celebrate individuality, spark creativity, and foster a real sense of connection.”

The Lunar Lounge: A Cosmic Recharge Experience 

Inspired by celestial energy and cosmic themes, The Lunar Lounge invites guests to unwind, reset and connect through a series of engaging experiences curated in partnership with leading brands, all aligning with Refinery29’s dedication to self-expression and wellness.

Goddess of Glow with eos: Inspired by the Greek goddess Eos, this astral glow-up celebrates fragrance as a self-care ritual. Guests will refresh and recharge with fan-favorite eos products, leaving them looking, feeling, and smelling, one of a kind.

The Lunar Cycle with First Response: Taking women’s health from taboo to totally empowering, this space invites guests to engage in open, honest dialogue while relaxing in a dreamy, otherworldly haven designed for comfort and confidence.

Since its debut, 29Rooms has revolutionized the experiential marketing space, becoming one of the first large-scale immersive events to merge culture, creativity, and community. Powered by insights from R29 Intelligence, Refinery29’s proprietary research and data platform, 29Rooms is designed to reflect what audiences want most — experiences that are meaningful, inspiring, and community-driven. With hundreds of thousands of attendees and a global digital reach, 29Rooms has set the standard for how brands and audiences connect in real life.

Refinery29 also continues to curate a dynamic lineup of influencers, tastemakers, and performers, ensuring that each event is infused with the voices and talent that matter most to our audience. Through T29, our dedicated talent and partnerships arm, we identify and collaborate with the most influential voices shaping culture today. From beauty and fashion creators to music and entertainment figures, our activations amplify the personalities shaping culture today — reinforcing Refinery29’s authority in fashion, beauty, and beyond.

In 2025, Refinery29 is evolving 29Rooms beyond its original concept, taking the experience on the road to meet audiences where they are. Each stop on the 29Rooms Road Trip will tap into local culture, highlight regional voices, and offer new and exciting opportunities for attendees to engage with Refinery29’s mission of celebrating individuality, inspiring others, and connecting communities. 

“This isn’t just a comeback — it’s a leap forward,” added Gaskin. “We’re honoring the past 20 years while looking ahead to the next 20, leading with innovation and connection.”

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The spring equinox and the astrological new year come with the sun’s movement into the zodiac sign Aries. Yes, that’s right, in astrology, we begin the calendar year with the Aries season, just like the ancient Romans, because the fire sign that adds vigor and passion to our lives.

From March 20th to April 19th, we’ll embrace our desires and put our personal needs first above everyone else’s. Not only that, but we will fight for what we want and take strides to attain greatness. Winning is everything now, so competing for first prize and a gold medal will occupy our time and our thoughts and take our strength and power.

Aries is a fire and cardinal sign, meaning it likes to start things. This sign does not sit by the sidelines. It’s usually the first to start a match and take on a project; however, this year, Aries season will be more aloof than usual due to the retrogrades and solar eclipse. We might opt to watch matters unfold rather than being an active participant.

Since Mars is Aries’s planetary ruler, it’s important to note that we are still dealing with the aftershocks of the last retrograde. Although Mars turned direct on February 23rd, it ends on May 2nd. Therefore, we might feel as though our libido, energy, and confidence are at a low. We won’t have the bravado we usually have during Aries season and may not be as confrontational as previous years. Repressed feelings are bubbling up, causing erratic reactions and meltdowns when pushed to the edge. The good news is that we are coming closer to detoxing these passive-aggressive vibes from our environment.

Adding Venus’s 18-month moonwalk to the mix will make matters more chaotic — particularly in our intimate relationships and emotions. Venus retrograde (from March 1st to April 12th) will make us needy regarding relationships. Aries isn’t a sign that likes to be codependent: it’s independent. As a result, we’ll want to cling closely to others and seek their opinion on everything — especially when Venus, the planet of love and beauty, backstrokes into Pisces on March 27th. The best cure to the moodiness and frustrations that occur at this time is self-love. Try to be extra gentle and kind to yourself.

The solar eclipse in Aries on March 29th invigorates our lives, reminding us to be selfish (which we all should be at times). It’s our moment to take charge and assert our authority. We can achieve anything if we put our heart and soul into it. The future is ours to create. Use this cosmic wakeup call to your advantage.

Mercury’s backslide in Aries to Pisces from March 15th to April 7th is going to reshape the way we see things. As the planet of communication moves backwards in the sky, we’ll have to slow down how we process our emotions. Use this time to assess feelings. Journaling can be a helpful tool to understand yourself better. Life isn’t moving at galactic speed, it’s becoming quieter. Relish in the soft energy.

The final major shift is Neptune’s temporary entrance into Aries from March 30th to October 22nd and then again in 2026. This planetary switch pushes us to be more aggressive and transparent with our ideas and emotions. We will try our best not to get lost in a moment and situation by seeking the truth. We won’t hide from dealing with matters. Realness gives us the energy to evolve and grow our aspirations. Like a fine wine, our dreams will be ready to come to fruition when the fruits of our labor ripen. The payoff will be extraordinary.

Important Dates:

March 20: The sun enters Aries, initiating a new season and elevating our intense feelings.

March 27: Venus retrograde moonwalks into Pisces, making us sensitive and emotional.

March 29: The solar eclipse in Aries pushes us to heighten our self-esteem.

March 29: Mercury retrograde re-enters Pisces, making communication ambiguous and unclear.

March 30: Neptune swims into Aries, elevating our spirituality and understanding of the world.

April 7: Mercury retrograde ends, clearing up technological issues, travel mishaps, and misunderstandings.

April 12: The Full Moon in Libra brings balance back into our lives through partnerships.

April 12: Venus turns direct, allowing our romantic feelings to flow.

April 16: Mercury moves into Aries again, combining vigor and gusto to our words.

April 18: Mars enters Leo once more, adding pep to our steps.

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Welcome to Refinery29 Loves, the monthly news bulletin where you’ll find our editor-approved lineup of the best to shop and see in fashion and beauty right now. 

Both awards season and Fashion Month have ended, which means leaving red carpet glam, eye-catching street style, and show-stopping runway looks in the rearview mirror. But, as the old cliché goes, when one door closes, another must open — and that’s certainly true in the world of fashion and beauty.

As spring weather approaches, nudging us out of our winter cocoons, a new crop of trends, buzzy campaigns, and launches are also emerging in the sunlight. Sabrina Carpenter is helping debut new Prada Beauty products, Refinery29-favorite brand Aligne is making its foray into bridal, and Glow Recipe is furthering its stronghold on the skincare-meets-makeup category with its latest cheek tints — and that’s just the start. Keep scrolling to discover more of the new fashion and beauty launches we’re excited about this month.

All linked products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase any of these products, we may earn a commission.

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Around two years ago, Ang, a Las Vegas-based 23-year-old parent program supervisor and social work grad student, began to experience dry skin, but she brushed it off as eczema. Then, it was unquenchable thirst — she was drinking five bottles of water a day. But it wasn’t until she felt chest pain that she knew something was wrong. In October 2023, she went into diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and was in the ICU for four days — and that’s how she found out she had Type 1 diabetes, a chronic illness that can be an enormous financial burden.

“Even with insurance, out-of-pocket costs can total up to $4,600 or more annually,” says Karla Robinson, MD, medical editor at GoodRx, a medication savings platform and leading resource for people with diabetes. Dr. Robinson suggests speaking with your doctor if the expense of diabetes treatment is a concern. “Managing diabetes can be challenging, and financial concerns often add an extra layer of stress.”

That’s why we tasked Ang to track her spending for one work week to share how much she’s saving on essential supplies (like insulin, glucose monitors, and testing strips), thanks to GoodRx. And in those five days, she saved *$291.95* — read her daily breakdown, below.

Day One

9 a.m. — I wake up late and realize I’m all out of my thyroid medication. I place a refill of my prescription online immediately, so I can pick it up at my local pharmacy later. My thyroid medication is $23, but with GoodRx I’ll only be paying a fraction of the price — love that. Having diabetes means I’m more prone to other autoimmune diseases, like thyroid disease. So, my thyroid medication replaces the missing thyroid hormone, and just like my insulin, I’ll have to take it for the rest of my life.

2 p.m. — Work is exhausting. I’m in back-to-back meetings all day and I have a small break where the first thing I eat for the day are some chips. I’m on a new insulin that’s faster than my last one. There are many different types of insulin, including a fast-acting one that works as soon as you inject it but stops two to four hours later. I’m still getting used to the fast-acting insulin, and I end up going low (which means my blood sugar level has dropped), so I correct myself with some gummies. Having low blood sugar is extremely dangerous because if it gets too low I can lose consciousness or have seizures.

6 p.m. — I go out to eat with my girls. I order a cheese potato soup, chips and queso, and a zero-sugar drink. If I don’t have insulin when I eat anything with carbs or sugar, my blood sugar will rise and won’t come down. I need to give myself insulin in order to stabilize my blood sugar level. $16.72

10 p.m. — After dinner, I head to my mom’s house to pick up some goodies she brought back from Mexico. Nothing has a nutrition label, so carb-counting becomes something like an extreme sport. I’m slowly learning how to carb-count after my diagnosis last year.

Daily Total: $16.72

Day Two

8 a.m. — I’m running late to work (as per usual) and I realize I forgot my insulin at home (as per usual). My commute to work is 45 minutes, so I don’t go back for it. That means no carbs today. Normally, with my insulin, I eat carbs all day, so this will be a challenge. Before my diagnosis, I didn’t know carbs and sugar were the same thing. I remember the doctor telling me I had to limit my sugar intake, which as it turned out, included bread, tortillas, rice, pasta, potatoes, and chips — not just sweet things, like cookies, candy, and sodas. In the beginning, it was really difficult for me to accept my diagnosis, because I didn’t want it to stop me from enjoying the food I normally eat. But I’m learning that, with carb-counting and insulin, it’s possible to eat everything.

12 p.m. — I’m at my internship and the office ordered lunch, but since I don’t have my insulin, I go out to get a salad. $20

6 p.m. — On my way home I stop at the pharmacy to pick up my thyroid medication. With GoodRx I only pay $9.05, saving me $13.95.

8 p.m. — I’m home and too tired to cook, so my fiance, D, and I pick up pizza, wings, and a side of ranch for dinner. $32.65.

10 p.m. — Before heading to bed, I catch up on my favorite medical drama with some popcorn and nacho cheese. As a diabetic, I can eat pretty much everything, but some foods are easier to control than others. My favorite diabetic-friendly snacks are pork rinds because they have zero carbs, and I don’t need insulin to eat them. When I shop for diabetes-friendly snacks, I always read the nutrition label, and if it’s less than 10 grams of carbs per serving, I’ll add it to my cart.

12 a.m. — Unfortunately, I’m still not asleep, so I’m doom-scrolling on social media instead. I’ve been studying for my licensure in social work and that’s all I can think about. I despise standardized tests — the stress of it all keeps me up at night, which also raises my blood sugar.

Daily Total: $61.70

Day Three

10 a.m. — Another work day, another meeting in the office.

2 p.m. — For lunch, I eat tamales that my mom brought from Mexico. Anytime we travel to Mexico, we always bring food back. I will 100% leave my clothes and shoes in Mexico in order to make more room for food in my suitcase.

One thing that I’ve started to embrace throughout my diabetes journey is showing off my device: a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), which monitors my blood sugar in real time (the sensor is inserted through a needle that stays in my body and sends my blood sugar levels to my phone through an app, so I don’t need to prick my finger every hour — instead, I just feel a tiny pinch when I replace my monitor every two weeks). When my arms are bare or when I wear tight tops, you can see my monitor, and honestly, I think it’s a cute accessory on me.

I don’t have an insulin pump, which is also a device that’s attached to the body with a needle, but it delivers insulin. Since my diagnosis, I’m still in the “honeymoon phase,” meaning my pancreas is still producing insulin, so my doctor doesn’t think an insulin pump is necessary yet.

4 p.m. — I shadow a therapy session at my internship. Afterwards, I go for a walk for some fresh air and a little bit of exercise. The walk is a good idea, because my sugar level is high. Working in mental health has its highs and lows, and it can be emotionally draining sometimes. Having diabetes can also be draining, especially because it’s considered an “invisible disease,” so many people don’t realize the mental and physical toll it can take on an individual.

5 p.m. — I receive a notification from my pharmacy to pick up my prescription refill for my insulin, which my insurance doesn’t cover. But thanks to GoodRx, I don’t have to pay $300 a month in order to live, and my insulin prescription is much more affordable. $135

7 p.m. — We go over to my suegro’s house for dinner. On the menu tonight: birria with homemade tortillas — delicious. Afterwards, we play some loteria and toma todo. It’s the eight of us crammed together at a 4-foot-wide round table — all because no one wants to sit at the spacious 8-foot dining table (is this a Mexican thing? I’m not sure, but we always, always end up at the smaller table).

Daily Total: $135

Day Four

2 a.m. —  I wake up in the middle of the night sweating and shaking. My blood sugar is in the 40s, and I’m not feeling well at all. Normal blood sugar is in the 80 to 120 range, and anything under or over is dangerous. I had given myself too much insulin at dinner last night — this happens at least once a month, where I miscalculate my carbs and my sugar will drop in the middle of the night or go insanely high. I reach over to my nightstand and open the first drawer to get a drink.

My drawer is stocked up with snacks for just this very situation (I have snacks everywhere: my purses, my car, at work, in D’s car, all the rooms in the house, my jackets, etc).

I wait about 30 minutes before I start to see my level rise and it’s safe for me to go back to sleep. I would never wish this feeling on anyone. I try to avoid miscounting my carbs by keeping track of incidents where I gave myself too much or too little insulin for future reference.

1 p.m. — After four hours at work, I take my break for lunch, which is pasta and a pomegranate (that I add limón and salt, even though my coworkers think it’s weird). Carb-counting pasta is always fun because pasta has a slow effect on the body, so one minute everything seems great with my sugar levels, and the next thing I know, I am in the 300s. A “normal” blood range is 80 to 120, but each diabetic has their own “normal.” My personal blood sugar goal range during the day is 100 to 150, and anything over 150 is too high for me. Having a high blood sugar level is bad for the body because it makes the body work overtime and has negative long-term effects, like heart disease, eye problems, kidney damage, nerve damage, and skin problems.

4 p.m. — On my way to my internship, I pick up a sugar-free drink, which turns out not to be sugar-free. I get alerts from my CGM that my blood sugar levels are high the entire time I’m at my internship. The annoying thing is that I can’t turn my alarms off. I knew it was too good to be true. $6

6 p.m. — Time to shop. Even when I have a grocery list, I somehow always forget items. For the week, we buy bread, tortillas, garlic salt, tostadas, sour cream, puff pastries, sugar-free drinks (for me), and sugary drinks (for D, and for when I have low blood sugar, since liquid is the fastest way to get my blood sugar back up to a normal range). I usually buy all the groceries I need for the week on Sunday and make dinner every day. I make about four servings of dinner because we take leftovers for lunch the next day. The good thing about taking leftovers for lunch is that I know the exact insulin-to-carb ratio, which makes it easier for me. Another good thing: Many of the meals I make include rice, and reheated rice has fewer carbs than freshly cooked rice. $36.89

Daily Total:$42.89

Day Five

10 a.m. — I wrap up a meeting at work. I’m starting to feel hungry, but I push through it and decide to wait until lunch. It’s still a challenge for me to manage my sugar levels in the morning.

2 p.m. — I take advantage of the fact that work is slow, so I go to the pharmacy to pick up my CGM sensors. My CGM sensors and insulin have to be the most expensive part of my diabetes management. My sensors are originally $240, but with GoodRx I get them for $130. I get two every month. If it falls off, if it hurts me, or if it turns out to be faulty, then I buy a new one. $130

4 p.m. — I finish a work event and decide to take a four-day weekend. I love that my job is flexible and allows me to take the time to see the doctor, which was helpful especially at the beginning of my diagnosis. At first, my doctors didn’t know if I had Type 1 or 2 diabetes, because of my age. I was 22 at the time, and they thought I was too old for Type 1, but too young for Type 2.

6 p.m. — I have dinner with friends tonight, so I do curbside pick-up for rotisserie chicken, chipotle peppers, mango habanero sauce, and sour cream. I rush home to cook — I’m making chipotle chicken while D is grilling ribs. $47.36 

11 p.m. — I’m home and realize that my sensor expired an hour ago. We were having too much fun. The sensor is good for 14 days, and I change it every other Wednesday and usually as late as possible, so I don’t have to worry about it during the day.

Daily Total: $177.36

Total: $433.67

GoodRx Savings: $291.95

For savings on diabetes medications, essential supplies (like continuous glucose monitors) and trusted diabetes information, visit GoodRx.com.

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As Black women, we take great pride in our hair and will go to great lengths to make sure we achieve the perfect style — no matter the time or effort it involves. And honestly, we will pay whatever the cost. So it’s not surprising that the global Black haircare market is expected to reach $4.9 billion by 2033, up from $3.2 billion in 2023.

With so much time, money, and energy invested in our hair, finally securing an appointment with the right stylist should feel like a win. And at first, it does. But what happens when that excitement falls short of expectations? What once was a cultural safe haven for women, a place for community and a sanctuary to literally and figuratively let your hair down has become a source of frustration or, worst case scenario, a complete nightmare due to an increase in unprofessional hairstylists.

Let’s take a collective deep sigh because we need to talk about it. I know it’s not just me because I have these conversations every other week — at brunch, in coffee shops, or in the group chat about the latest saga of lack of professionalism in Black hair salons. From booking to the final styling, the complete disregard for basic business practices shows up at every step of the process. It wasn’t always like this. So what happened?

Now, I pride myself on being a law-abiding Black-hair client. I take the time to read all the terms and conditions before booking an appointment. Through my experiences, I’ve become well-versed in what has seemingly become the industry standard. The average late fee is between $15 and $30 if you arrive up to 15 minutes late to the appointment. Many stylists will understandably require you to reschedule the appointment for anything beyond that, and you will forfeit the security deposit.

But professionalism is a two-way street. If there’s a financial penalty for me as a client, there should be one for the stylist. For me, one of the first signs of an unprofessional stylist is the lack of a policy on how they handle running behind schedule. It does not sit right with me that I am required to be on time to avoid a late fee, yet many stylists don’t offer any type of discount on my service when they’re running late.

Some unprofessional stylists cancel appointments at an unreasonable time. I understand that life happens and things come up. However, if clients are a no-call, no-show, or cancel less than 24 hours before the appointment, stylists will charge at least 50% of the service booked (in addition to the forfeited deposit) with the credit card on file.

Yet, there was no one for me to charge for the inconvenience when a Houston stylist canceled my 7:00 a.m. sew-in appointment around 8:43 p.m. the night before. She texted that she did not have the hair I requested but suggested I could still get serviced with my own extensions, with different hair she had available, or I could choose a different service. The stylist not having the hair wasn’t the problem — it’s the fact that the service and hair were available to book in the first place.

If she had alerted me earlier in the day, I could have found hair extensions in Houston and, while annoyed, still made the appointment. Why shouldn’t I demand that my service be 50% off when using her rules? This particular stylist has permanently lost me as a customer. I continue to warn my inner circle to avoid her services because God forbid she cancels on my family or friends before their first day of work like she did me.

The unprofessionalism plaguing the hair industry is bigger than deposits, cancellations or no-show fees. My sister, who has locs down to her waist, stopped going to her loctician because she frequently took breaks to gossip on the phone in another room.

A growing number of stylists — mainly braiders— now expect clients to arrive with their hair already washed and blow-dried. And if your hair is longer than shoulder length or considered thick, extra charges will likely be added for certain styles, from braids to silk presses.

DeAnna Maxwell, who considers herself an “old-school” stylist and founder of Unto Him Hair Salon and Spa in Akron, Ohio, says, “I always teach consumers, whether my client or somebody else’s, to interview your hairdresser the same way you would ask questions to a company during a job interview.”

She added, “Find out about the hairstylist policies and processes. They should not service you if you feel uncomfortable.” This reinforces a valid point that client-stylist relationships should be built on mutual trust, respect and understanding.

Undeniably, stylists face financial challenges from unreliable clients, leading to many having opted to set up terms, conditions and deposits. As hairstylist and TikTok user hairstylistbusinesscoach states, “I run a business and not a charity. When you book a time slot, that’s a time slot that we couldn’t give somebody else. Y’all gotta realize this is how we take care of our families. This is how we pay our bills.” This highlights the business realities driving these policies.

It’s also clear that some hairstylists have probably reached their breaking points with foul clients. Although these are justifiable frustrations it shouldn’t lead or translate into unprofessional conduct across the board.

According to fashion and costume historian Shelby Ivey Christie, one significant reason for unprofessional hairstylists is the lack of experience. “A salon suite does not make a professional stylist,” she said on X, in response to the viral incident involving Jayla Cunningham, a Maryland stylist facing second-degree assault charges for allegedly assaulting a 15-year-old and cutting out her extensions over a payment dispute.

Cunningham told local reporters the teen she serviced tried running out of the appointment without paying. However, the teen’s mother says she sent the money to the wrong Cash App user.

“Professional is not describing your ability to take payments. Professional is actually alluding to your level of mastery in your skilled work and your years of experience,” Christie continued. Further reiterating that the situation could have been de-escalated with greater experience and professionalism.

Maxwell, who has been an entrepreneur for nearly three decades, reinforces this, stressing the importance of mentorship for younger hairstylists beginning their careers in the industry.

“Many new hairstylists come out of school with false hope and think that hair school teaches you everything you need to know, but hair school only teaches you how to pass state boards,” she says. “Mentorship will teach professionalism and allow new stylists to retain clientele to thrive in this business.”

As more clients continue to speak out in hopes to hold stylists accountable, I hope this moment ignites a reckoning between hairstylists and clients. I hope we can find common ground, where we respect each other’s time, uphold professionalism and reclaim the joy in our haircare experiences.  Otherwise, at least for me, the alternative is investing in a one-on-one class and learning some of these skills myself. Since many of us are already required to come with our hair washed, blow-dried, and stretched out, we’re halfway there in the styling process. Imagine how much money and frustration we could save by bypassing the stylists who show little to no regard for professionalism or our hard-earned coins.

At the same time, we can’t ignore the rich legacy we all stand on. The rise of Black women entrepreneurs today is built on the foundation of pioneering women like Madam C.J. Walker, who transformed the haircare industry through mastery, innovation, and service. Both stylists and clients are descendants of this legacy, one shaped by women who took great honor in their craft and reputation. Our hair is more than just aesthetics, it’s a symbol of our individuality, a form of personal self-expression that deserves to be handled with care. When we have a lackluster experience, it doesn’t just waste our time and money. It diminishes the artistry and cultural significance of our crown.

As a community and for our culture, it’s time to get back to a place where getting our hair done is a positive experience, not a hassle. A space of community, self-care, comfort and excellence—where professionalism isn’t optional but expected.

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Spoilers ahead. Severance is the hit TV series everyone is talking about. The show focuses on four workers who choose to undergo a radical “severance procedure” to split their consciousness in two: an “innie” who only lives to work with no memories of who they are, and an “outtie” who knows nothing about their work life. Praised for its incisive science-fiction take on the very zeitgeisty topic of modern-day work, Severance accurately depicts what it means to have no freedom in the workplace. Season 2 has built on these relatable themes, introducing race as a key factor within the creepy, hollow corporate hell that is Lumon. This season hints at everything from workplace microaggressions and double standards, to empty diversity initiatives and even Black resistance. So what does Severance reveal about what it means to be Black in the corporate world?

Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman) is one of the only unsevered Black staff members in a position of some authority at Lumen, navigating a largely white corporation. He spends a lot of time in series one doing the dirty work of middle management, attempting to discipline and incentivize the Macrodata Refinement team. In Season 2, he’s gotten a promotion, replacing Miss Cobel (Patricia Arquette) and joining the management team, but it’s not all it seems. He is tasked with the messy, impossible job of resolving the aftermath of the Macrodata revolt which involves him firing and then (with the help of a pineapple) rehiring all the workers again. He may have a shiny new title, but Miss Cobel’s name is still on the computer welcome message in her office, suggesting Milchick was a quick, maybe even temporary replacement, rather than a worker valued for their talents and thoughtfully promoted.

Milchick never fails when it comes to having an amazing fit on, but his snappy attire suggests he is more than just a stylish dresser: he’s somewhat of an outsider. The contrast between his trendy appearance and the drab aesthetic of the other managers, or the faceless board, suggests his outsider status means he may never fully belong, and he could be discarded the moment he becomes inconvenient. His leather jacket worn early in Season 2 also hints at a potential to rebel.

When speaking to Severance director Ben Stiller and actor Adam Scott (who plays Mark Scout) on the official Severance podcast, Tramell Tillman said he asked Ben and Severance writer Dan Erickson, “Does Milchick know he’s Black?…It was important to know if this character understood he is different from this culture.” The push by Tillman to understand Milchick on a deeper level reveals a tension between Milchick’s desire to succeed in the corporate world, what’s ethically right and the racism he also personally faces. Tillman added “I think there’s a doctrine or philosophy, a history [at Lumon] that he really attaches himself to, that empowers him in some way that he continues day after day to be a part of this.”  As abhorrent as Mr. Milchick’s complicity in an abusive systems is, his story has a tragic arc; he seems unlikely to ever get the recognition he is looking for.

His outsider status becomes extremely pronounced in a now viral scene in Season 2, Episode 3  when he meets Black Lumon worker Natalie (Sydney Cole Alexander) in his office for an impromptu meeting with the board via intercom. Only Natalie can hear and converse with them through her headset, as she presents him with some gifts on behalf of the board: several “inclusively recannonized paintings” to help him “see yourself in Keir.” The images of the white Lumon founder Keir reconstituted in essentially Blackface seems to be alarming to Milchick, expressing concern with his facial expressions whilst Natalie in a strained smile and a cry for help in her eyes, says she received a similar gift and found it “extremely moving”. The various unspoken ways racialized staff communicate with one another feels extremely familiar — a small glance, a slight widening of eyes —  during uncomfortable or outright racist moments in the workplace. You’re always conscious that your actions are often under surveillance.

This scene also reveals something that gets to the heart of many corporate diversity initiatives and the limitations of representation. The board assumes that Mr. Milchick will feel honored to “see himself” in the deity-like figure of Keir, and believes this symbolic gesture of diversity by reimagining Keir as a Black man is akin to real structural change. Whilst there are DEI efforts that can genuinely tackle real forms of inequity in an organization, many big corporate DEI efforts are window dressing, an attempt to make superficial changes in the branding or marketing of that company, rather than addressing substantive issues such as discriminatory hiring practices, ethnicity/gender pay gaps or exploitative abuses of workers in the global south. Milchick is later reprimanded in a formal appraisal for having a “too friendly” and paternalistic an approach to the Macrodata team, showing he’s useful to diversify Lumen’s image, but he has no real decision-making powers, nor can he actively push for any real improvement in the severed workers’ treatment. As we’ve seen in real life, once it’s no longer politically convenient to have DEI initiatives, corporations will just throw them away.

Sometimes identity-related storylines can feel clunky or forced (see Emilia Perez), especially if the writers have added it purely as an “add on” or to tick a box. However, Severance’s subtle exploration of race feels natural to the story. The divisive, exploitative and dehumanizing nature of racism is, for some, an essential component of capitalism. In Severance, the suggestion is that race isn’t a separate issue from capitalism, but that it can determine how different characters experience power, labor, and control within Lumon’s corporate dystopia. It’s revealed in Season 1 that Lumon was established in 1865, the same year slavery was abolished in the U.S. suggesting that the company represents the evolution from chattel slavery to corporate exploitation. After abolition, the U.S. economy found new ways to extract labor from Black people: sharecropping, prison labor, and low-wage industrial labor. It also begs the question was the company’s wealth originally built on slavery? Lumon seems to be a corporate embodiment of how racial and economic oppression are symbiotic, and essential to how our modern world functions.

As well as the links to capitalism, its exploration of race is also deeply connected to the show’s philosophical central question: what really makes us who we are? Are the “innies” — who’ve not been worn down by the weight of the world —  a more accurate depiction of the character’s true selves? Are the innies actually less human as they are totally divorced from the memories, experiences and grief that shape their outties?

Writer and academic W.E.B Dubois wrote about the concept of  “double consciousness” in his book The Souls of Black Folk which captured the duality of the Black American experience. He believed that Black Americans faced an inner struggle to remain true to themselves while at the same time conforming to the dominant white society. This struggle created a “split” or double consciousness of the soul: the real person and a projected dehumanizing idea of Blackness within a white supremacist society. Du Bois wrote “one ever feels his two-ness, an American, a Negro, two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings.”. In a heartbreaking scene in Episode 5 after Milchick is reprimanded by his superiors for using “too many big words” and incorrectly using paper clips, he stares into a mirror, disgusted and shouting at himself. His body and its reflection are in frame, once again referencing the concept of “two selves,” as Milchick wrestles with himself and the version of himself projected onto him within a racist corporate environment. His presence is tolerated at Lumen because he serves a function—but he is never fully integrated into or respected by the power structure.

The pressure of this duality is evident in Mr. Milchick’s and Natalie’s characters. Although neither of them are actually severed (as far as we know), they often seem to be playing a part, or hiding their true feelings, in an effort to maintain their positions at Lumen. Natalie, for example, frequently maintains a plastered smile which never feels genuine, using hollow corporate phrases like “the board is jubilant at your ascendance.” When Mr. Milchick speaks with her delicately using euphemisms to cautiously gauge her thoughts on how she really felt about receiving a Keir painting, she never breaks her outer facade and does not engage with what he’s really asking. Both characters seem tempted at times to show more of their “real selves” at Lumen but never quite dare to transgress into their more human side. The show demonstrates that being racialized in predominantly white spaces is also its own kind of “severance” and their racialization as Black staff members is an integral part of that.

Milchick and Natalie’s complicity in exploitation makes it difficult at times to empathize with them. “He’s participating in dodgy behavior, how does he reconcile that?” asked Tillman to Stiller and Scott on the Severance podcast. “How does he sleep at night knowing what he’s doing to these innies?…I know he senses the ethical issues. This is a man of duty, of task, he has a job at hand and he goes and serves the mission.” There are many historical instances where some Black people were placed in roles that required them to enforce oppressive systems on other marginalized groups — slave plantations, and western imperial rule all relied on some racialized people being willing to do the white master’s bidding.

But, not all the Black workers are quietly compliant. Dylan (Zach Cherry), the only severed worker of color on the Macrodata team, is also the first to actively resist the system after getting the chance to meet his outtie’s son briefly. He understands just how much has been taken from him, and then rejects the empty company incentives used to pacify workers (like sweet treats or finger traps) and at the end of Season 1, Dylan uses his physical strength to hold the doors open to allow his teammates the time they need to let the outside world know about the abuses on the severed floor. Asal Reghabi (Karen Aldridge) is an ex-Lumen staff member who works from the outside, using her scientific knowledge to attempt the risky process of “reintegrating” severed workers. Her actions suggest she’s not interested in reform of Lumon, but seeks to expose it and destroy it, a militant approach. Whilst we don’t know much about her background, we can assume that she didn’t see value ultimately in attempting to “change things from the inside” which echoes Black liberation tactics. She also is a valuable resource to protagonist “outtie” Mark (Adam Scott), urging him to take action and challenge Lumen’s exploitation.

Cultural scholar Stuart Hall famously said “race is the modality in which class is lived”. He believed race is often how Black people make sense of their structural oppression, and that your race is likely to determine your class position. At a time when many across the political spectrum are reductively dismissing all forms of  “identity politics,” Severance brings to life the reality that our identities get right to the heart of what it means to live in a capitalist society. It’s definitely a timely message worth listening to.

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